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Denise Lawler, current Secretary and past President of the Underwater Research Group of NSW (URG), remembers growing up with URG and explains how diving eventually became a part of her life. |
| Denise was born in 1963 and can still remember the smells associated with her father’s (Clarrie Lawler) diving; the fishy smell, the smell of the neoprene diving gear that was washed out afterwards. Back home, there was also the smell of drying out specimens, similar to seaweed or marine life washed up on beaches, which were destined for the Australian Museum.  Throughout the years Clarrie Lawler also took Denise and her siblings to dive sites where the siblings did a lot of snorkelling.
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| There were also many memorable coastal holidays, especially at Jervis Bay which the dive group would visit monthly. The URG members pitched their tents at Green Patch. The divers would go off during the day in the boat they had towed down (from outside the Lawler home where it was kept and the mums and kids would play on the beach, swim and snorkel. Most of the divers back then were from the Sutherland Shire.
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Denise didn’t start diving until she was 40 as her career and family utilised her available time. She walked past a dive shop one day, walked in and signed up for the dive course. After obtaining her diving certification she immediately bought all the equipment she needed to ensure she made diving part of her life and not just a casual hobby.
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| Her first dive was with a commercial operator but, as her buddy swam off and left her alone, her Dad advised her to join URG which had a strong mentoring aspect to its dives. The URG members (around 50 per year) all cared for each other and such strong companionship meant she formed strong friendships. They do get younger members and many get qualified and don’t continue, perhaps because diving can be expensive.
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| They also get backpackers who do the course, do a few dives and then pretty much disappear. Some prospective members are accepted as members with conditions because their previous dives have taken place in the tropics or in lakes both of which are very different from Sydney diving. Sydney diving is more challenging in terms of visibility out at sea and there is swell and chop and colder water, factors that add a level of anxiety to the dive.
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In terms of her own dives, Denise is more interested in pretty fish and weedy sea dragons rather than vegetation and sponges. She especially likes animals with personality like the giant cuttlefish and the eastern blue groper that hangs around divers.
Her underwater excursions don’t stop after a dive as she spends time uploading the photos she has taken. She may have started late but it seems that, for Denise Lawler, diving suits.
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| Underwater photography in the early days required ingenuity on the part of the diver! The camera waterproof housing shown was built by Harry Tracy, URG member from early years (60s/70s). The camera was used to photograph the underwater Howard Couch memorial plaque placed at Shiprock in Port Hacking by the URG in 1970 and discussed by Clarrie Lawler.
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| Did You Know?
The URG has five members who turn 70 this year and many people have been members for 20+ years.
The President’s role is ultimate spokesperson and governs the rest of the committee members (treasurer, secretary, membership officer, communications officer, vice-president). Committee members also take up roles such as maintenance officer, dive officer and safety officer, as well as organising fundraisers such as the Bunning’s sausage sandwich fundraiser. Left: artefacts from Fort Denison dives. Images from Clarrie Lawler sources
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Denise Lawler was interviewed for A Question of Balance by Ruby Vincent. Images from Denise Lawler, mainly from Clarrie Lawler's collections. Summary text by Victor Barry August 2017.
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